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<H1>TODO: Text to organize</H1>
<h2>NOAA booklet charts</h2>
<pre>
Has anyone used the free downloadable and printable booklet charts
from NOAA?   (  http://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/staff/BookletChart.html)
  If so, I'm wondering if they were useful for the Loop  or did the
fact that they are broken up into such small pieces make piloting
awkward?  It seems most people on the list use laptops or  GPS
plotters but I'd like to try the old-fashioned way  and wonder if this
is a viable, low-cost option.

 If you've used them, did you keep them in a binder or try to assemble
them into a large chart with tape?  It seems that for ICW  legs they
might be good enough, although it takes a lot of flipping to find a
latitude or even a compass rose. 
</pre>
<H2>patience</H2>
<P>http://www.geocities.com/bill_fiero/patience.htm</P>
<H3><A NAME="TOC-Link-to-boat-grading-system"></A>Link to boat
grading system</H3>
<P><BR>http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=p6mJcdStZwZrZQVZQzgNLUQ&amp;hl=en<BR>https://www.greatloop.org/N5Content/pdf/aglca%20boat%20comparison%20chart.pdf<BR>here's
a link to an interesting email stream
http://groups.google.com/group/AGLCA/browse_thread/thread/5cc13e740deaa56c?hl=en</P>
<H3><A NAME="TOC-Bridge-clearances"></A>Bridge clearances</H3>
<P><BR><BR>
</P>
<P>WE MADE IT UNDER THE BURLINGTON NORTHERN SANTA FE RR BRIDGE ( MM
300.5 ON <BR>THE ILLINOIS RV.) WITH PLENTY OF ROOM TO SPARE. THANK
YOU ALAN. 
</P>
<P>NOTE THAT SKIPPERS BOB BOOK IS NOT COMPLETELY ACCURATE NOR IS THE
<BR>LOCKTENDERS @ THE LOCKPORT LOCK WHEN THEY SAY THE CLEARANCE IS
19'1&quot;. 
</P>
<P>ALAN LLOYD'S BOOK , GREAT CIRCLE NAVIGATION NOTES STATES THAT THE
CLEARANCE <BR>IS BASED ON 578' POOL LEVEL &amp; THE U S ARMY CORPS OF
ENGINEERS CHARTS OF THE <BR>ILLINOIS (NEWEST EDITION) &nbsp;STATE
THAT THE LOW STEEL OF THE BRIDGE IS 597.1', <BR>THIS IS CORRECT. 
</P>
<P>TO CALCULATE THE BRIDGE CLEARANCE ON THE DAY WE TRAVELED UNDER IT 
</P>
<P>O'BRIEN LOCK MM 326.4 ELEVATION 577.6' ( GO TO
<BR><A HREF="http://www2.mvr.usace.army.mil/WaterControl/new/layout.cfm" TARGET="_blank">http://www2.mvr.usace.army.mil/WaterControl/new/layout.cfm</A>
ROCK ISLAND <BR>DIST.- IL RIVER BASIN &nbsp; Illinois River at
O'Brien Lock and Dam ) <BR>LOCKPORT LOCK MM 291 ELEVATION 575.46' &nbsp;
Illinois River at Lockport Lock and <BR>Dam (POOL) <BR>SUBTRACT ONE
FROM THE OTHER ( 2.14') AND YOU HAVE THE DIFFERENCE IN WATER <BR>LEVELS.
<BR>THE RR BRIDGE IS ABOUT I/3 THE DISTANCE UP STREAM FROM THE
LOCKPORT LOCK. SO <BR>1/3 OF 2.1' IS .71. <BR>ADD THIS TO THE WATER
EL AT LOCKPORT 575.46' +.71' = 576.17'. THIS IS THE <BR>WATER EL. AT
THE RR BRIDGE THE DAY WE CALCULATED IT. <BR>WITH THE BRIDGE CLEARANCE
AT 597.1' - 576.17 ( THE WATER LEVEL) &nbsp;= 20.93', <BR>JUST UNDER
21' AIR DRAFT. 
</P>
<P>WITH OUR AIR DRAFT OF 19'1&quot; WE MADE A TICKLER POLE TO THE
HEIGHT 19'4&quot; TALL <BR>OF 3/4&quot; PVC &amp; MOUNTED IT IN THE
BURGEE HOLDER IN THE FRONT OF THE BOAT TO BE <BR>SURE WE WERE ABLE TO
GET UNDER THE BRIDGE. I COULD SEE WE HAD ABOUT 18&quot; <BR>CLEARANCE.
</P>
<P>YOU WILL HAVE TO MAKE YOUR OWN CALCULATIONS ON THE DAY YOU TRAVEL.
</P>
<P>HOPE THIS HELPS ALL WITH THE RR BRIDGE AIR DRAFT. <BR><BR>The
controlling bridge on the Great Loop is at mile 300.6 on the Illinois
&nbsp; <BR>Waterway <BR>This bridge has a charted clearance of 19.1
feet. <BR>There is normally one-foot of extra clearance. &nbsp;It is
not possible to &nbsp; <BR>by-pass this bridge. 
</P>
<P>There is a &nbsp;bridge on the Chicago River that is only 17 feet
but &nbsp;it is <BR>possible to by-pass this bridge by taking the
Calumet River route instead &nbsp;of the <BR>Chicago River. &nbsp;
<BR>Both routes merge at the Illinois Waterway. 
</P>
<P>Alan &nbsp;Lloyd <BR>Great Loop Navigation Notes
<BR>_www.NavigationNotes.com_ (<A HREF="http://www.navigationnotes.com/" TARGET="_blank">http://www.navigationnotes.com/</A>)
<BR>Visit web &nbsp;site for more information. 
</P>
<H3><A NAME="TOC-Down-East-Circle-Route-Down-East-Lo"></A>Down East
Circle Route/Down East Loop</H3>
<P>Who of you are thinking about doing the DECR in 2009? &nbsp;Last
year we had 7 loopers, 4 Krogans, and one sailboat doing the trip
that were in communication via e-mail. &nbsp;We were the only boat
that didn't complete the trip and will be continuing the trip from
Rimouski, Quebec in late June of 2009. &nbsp;We were also the only
crew that had the oportunity to meet all but one of the 12 boats
doing the trip, either on the trip or at our home dock when they came
through Beaufort, SC as they went north or were coming back south.
&nbsp;Because of our present location, we will have more time for
Bras d'Or Lakes, Cape Breton, and will add the St. John River to our
itinerary. &nbsp;We will probably be running several weeks ahead of
most others doing this trip so will be feeding information back to
others behind us, much as those ahead of us last year feed
information back to us. &nbsp;Based on comments from most that did
the trip last year, most wanted to spend more time in Bras d'Or Lakes
then they had available, so I would recommend planning to leave
heading north from NYC about the first of June, getting to the Gespe
Peninsula during the first week of July, and coming back into Maine
about Labor Day, and back to NYC before the middle of October. 
</P>
<P>Several good web sites to look at of those that did it in 2008 are
&nbsp;<A HREF="http://www.gonecruzn3.talkspot.com/" TARGET="_blank">www.gonecruzn3.talkspot.com</A>,
<A HREF="http://www.jubilee.typepad.com/" TARGET="_blank">www.jubilee.typepad.com</A>,
<A HREF="http://www.kk3940.com/" TARGET="_blank">www.KK3940.com</A>,
and ours, <A HREF="http://www.gorgensodyssee.blogspot.com/" TARGET="_blank">www.gorgensodyssee.blogspot.com</A>.
&nbsp; 
</P>
<P>Let me know if your planning this trip and I'll start an e-mail
list. 
</P>
<P>Chuck and Claria Gorgen <BR>ODYSSEE 
</P>
<P><BR><A HREF="http://sites.google.com/site/richardbellslog/the-great-loop/Resources">Resources</A>
- There are a number of mailing lists, sites, etc that are
useful<BR><A HREF="http://sites.google.com/site/richardbellslog/Training">Training</A>-
Places offering some sort of training<BR><BR>The ICW is actually
divided into two parts, Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, which took us
from Fairhope, AL to Carrabelle, FL (actually begins in Brownsville,
TX) and the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, which extends from
Norfolk, VA, (Mile 0) to Key West, FL (Mile 1244). The two segments
were originally supposed to be connected by a canal across northern
Florida, but environmental concerns canceled that plan.</P>
<P><BR><BR>
</P>
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